BEREA, Ohio – Johnny Manziel might not have won the starting quarterback job in Cleveland, but the Browns are hoping the rest of the AFC North is still thinking about the dynamic-yet-raw first-round pick.

With Manziel's college background running zone-read plays, and with his unique scrambling, and throw-on-the-run abilities, the Browns could employ a "Johnny Package" as soon as Week 1 against Pittsburgh – a selection of plays in which Manziel would replace starter Brian Hoyer for a snap here or there to provide a boost to the Browns' offense.

Or at least that's what the Browns want the Steelers to believe right now. Any extra time Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau spend thinking about a Manziel package could pay off, Browns safety Donte Whitner said.

"With those words alone they have to prepare," Whitner said. "They have to prepare for the option, they have to prepare for the read play and all of that. Even if he doesn't get out there, Pittsburgh or whoever we play has to prepare for it. Make them prepare for things even if they aren't going to see it."

Whitner and Browns head coach Mike Pettine have seen, from opposite sidelines, just how such a scenario could work. Whitner was the starting strong safety for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and 2012, when the Niners debuted a package of plays for then-backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Pettine, meanwhile, was the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets when the Niners' Kaepernick Package had its best day – five rushes for Kaepernick for 50 yards, including one 7-yard touchdown and another 30-yard scamper. The Niners went on to win that game 34-0. Pettine was also with the Jets in 2010, when Denver's rookie backup quarterback Tim Tebow ran six times for 23 yards and scored a touchdown in a specialty-package role against the Jets.

"The hard part of it is that you might only get a handful of plays from the other quarterback, but just the time it takes because if you don't prepare for it you have a chance to look very unprepared and give up some big plays," Pettine said. "I just go back to that [San Francisco] game. We did spend time preparing on it and still gave up some chunk plays. There is that positive to it that your forcing prep time, but the negative is you're affecting your own continuity."

Such two-quarterback systems haven't always worked. It did in San Francisco, with Kaepernick and Alex Smith, because of just how dynamic and special Kaepernick was, Whitner said.

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For Tebow in Denver, there was limited success – he scored four touchdowns in the package as a rookie, three rushing and one passing, but the Tebow Package was a bust for the Broncos early in 2011 and then a complete disaster for the Jets in 2012.

"That was just a special situation where you have a guy that has all the attributes and is really headstrong, and he was actually better than the starter, especially in our coaches' eyes, they thought. That was just a different thing," Whitner said. "Kap, he could do anything. He could take it 80-90 yards on you on the run. … I'm not sure if Johnny could actually take it 80 on a defense running the ball, but I know he could get some yards, make some things happen. And I know Hoyer is a true drop-back passer."

Such is the challenge now for Pettine and Cleveland's new offensive coordinator Kyle Shahanan in weighing how much practice time Hoyer and the first-team offense needs with what potential benefit the Browns could get from putting Manziel on the field, even for just a handful of snaps.

The Browns have had bigger issues this season than prepping a package of plays for Manziel – starting with a quarterback competition between Hoyer and Manziel that lasted until the third week of August. Even once the Browns settled on Hoyer, Pettine and his staff had to deal with the loss of No. 1 receiver Josh Gordon to a season-long suspension and a first-team offense that scored just two touchdowns – and only one on a sustained drive – in four preseason games.

In Pittsburgh, the Steelers are already talking up both of the Browns' quarterbacks – and are preparing to see both Hoyer and Manziel, even though Tomlin said preparing for a mobile quarterback isn't hindering his team's prep time because, he said, "It's not like Brian Hoyer is immobile."

"I believe all the things they're going to potentially ask him to do Brian Hoyer is fully capable of doing it as well,'' Tomlin said. "I just think when you have a talent like Johnny Manziel you're going to get him on the field and help him grow and develop and continue the growth and development process even as you get into the regular season.''

Manziel played five series in the Browns' preseason finale last week, his final chance to run the Browns' offense. He didn't throw the ball well in that finale – he completed just 6 of his 17 pass attempts – but Cleveland appeared to put in more plays that made Manziel look more like Johnny Football. He took 26 of 36 snaps (including plays that were later erased by penalties) from out of the shotgun, including 13-of-14 on his only touchdown drive. Shanahan called several quarterback runs and let Manziel roll out of the pocket before throwing.

All of it will serve as film of just what could be should the Browns opt to pull Hoyer and insert Manziel in these first few regular season games.

"For me, going forward, it's preparing like I'm going to play every snap. I need to prepare that way," Manziel said. "Whenever the time may be, whether it's however long or extremely far down the road or if it is soon or something in between, I need to be ready. Whether it's a package, or coming in and playing, whatever it is I'm asked to do, I need to be ready to step in and execute that without any hesitation. That's my job."